Volunteering with Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

The SNOMNH is a research division of the University of Oklahoma. The museum houses more than 10 million objects and specimens in 12 collections, all housed under one roof. There are 13 curators in charge of these collections, each of whom conduct independent research in their respective areas. Most curators have a professorial position in a corresponding OU academic department, and teach university classes in addition to their research and curatorial duties.

Museum curators conduct fieldwork and research at sites across the United States as well as in several different countries around the world. Graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Oklahoma also participate in research activities and field study associated with the museum collections and research programs.

Volunteers in collections are accepted on an as-needed basis.

The Discovery Room at the Sam Noble Museum provides inviting, interactive, hands-on experiences that enhance themes presented in the museum’s exhibits and programs. Visitors are encouraged to “please touch gently” for closer investigation of museum specimens.  The Discovery Room audience includes visitors of all ages, with a strong focus on children and families. Volunteers in the Discovery Room create a welcoming and positive environment for dynamic natural history learning for children, families and school groups.

Live animals, table-top activities that invite critical thinking, discovery drawers and touchable objects are just a few of the daily opportunities for Discovery Room visitors. Each weekend offers interactive play activities and programs based on a weekly theme.

The Hall of Ancient Life takes you on a tour of more than 4 billion years of Oklahoma's prehistory - from the formation of the planet through the last Ice Age. In this richly detailed gallery, the past comes to life through a series of exhibits featuring the most impressive specimens in the museum's extensive paleontology collections, plus spectacular models, interactives and detailed dioramas.

Surround yourself in the sights and sounds of Oklahoma's natural landscapes in this beautiful gallery where "immersion" style dioramas make you feel as if you are walking through the environment.

The Hall of the People of Oklahoma traces the 30,000-year history of the Native people of the state. Exhibits begin with the earliest archaeological evidence of humans in Oklahoma, and travel through time to an examination of what it means to be Native American in Oklahoma today. The entry walls are covered in handprints made by representatives from 26 of Oklahoma's 39 federally recognized tribes. 

Many departments at the museum need office help - this can be anything from making copies to editing a newsletter.